THE OUTER RIM HACKER
by SherazadeVader
Summary: Luke Skywalker wants to show Biggs a new trick: He learned how to hack into the ships’ transmissions. He hacked into a transmission sent by the alliance about an imperial secret and deadly weapon…that must be destroyed…
1. Chapter 1

THE OUTER RIM HACKER

Thanks to my beta reader DarthGladiator45.

Summary: Luke Skywalker wants to show his friend Biggs a new trick: He learned how to hack into the ships' transmissions.

He hacked into a transmission sent by the alliance about an imperial secret and deadly weapon…that must be destroyed…

Disclaimer: George Lucas is the rightful owner of STAR WARS and all characters portrait on this fan fiction.

Luke Skywalker and Biggs Darklighter were hiding from the sand storm at Biggs' home. Luke passed his hands over the shelves and read the holo games labels feeling the slickness of the plastic cases.

"Wow! I didn't know you got this one!" Luke picked up the data disk and his eyes went wide open. "This must have cost you a fortune!"

Biggs shrugged, "That was nothing, really. I won in a race on Beggars Canyon, you know, the one you didn't go."

"Really?" Luke frowned. "That darn evaporator cost me a TIE fighter game. Come on Biggs, let's play."

Biggs placed the data disk inside the holo-game player.

"This is so cool, we can invite others through the holonet to play with us," Biggs explained.

"How do you do that?" Luke asked while observing Biggs download the game onto the holonet.

"Do you know the rules of the game?" Biggs asked.

"Sure, we have to destroy the X-Wings and Y-Wings, right"

"Right." Biggs picked up the helmets while handing one to Luke. "And these will make action sequences seem realistic." Luke placed the helmet over his head.

"This is so cool! I wonder if this is what the stars looks like!" Luke was overwhelmed with the feel of a hyperspace. As he had never been inside a ship before and the game made it look so real!

"What do you want to be? A TIE fighter pilot or you prefer being something else?" Biggs asked.

"X-Wing!" Luke punched the digital pad and chose his vessel.

"Are you ready?" Biggs asked.

"Are we playing with the other people out there?"

"Not until we get online." Biggs replied. "Just a minute and we will be."

The young men were "piloting" their ships.

Luke and Biggs played the simulation game, twisting, turning, shooting until Luke finally brought down Darklighter's TIE.

"That was not fair!" Darklighter turned off the game.

Luke laughed. "Sorry, I guess you are dead now."

Biggs started laughing. "Yeah, sure; but I will beat you next time."

"Hey, Biggs, do you want to go to Anchorhead when the sand storm stops? They opened up a new fast food restaurant; I heard they got the best bantha burger of the Outer Rim."

"I'm kind of hungry too, but my mother left me some of those in the fridge. We can play another game, what do you think?"

"Sure, whatever." Luke browsed through the shelf. Biggs left the room.

The computer started to _beep _incessantly. Luke looked at thescreen, there was a timer going off.

"Hey Biggs, what is this beeping sound?"

Biggs replied from the kitchen. "It is a reminder I have to take my vitamins, just turn it off."

Luke laughed. "A reminder to take vitamins? That's very funny."

Luke shook his head, still smiling. Biggs had a way of amusing him. Biggs felt like an older brother that Luke never had. It amazed Luke that despite Biggs being a member of one of the richest families of Tatooine, he would still hang around him, a lowly farm boy.

He was happy when he was with Biggs, unlike Dack; Biggs care about him. Although Dack was a good friend, but often felt he was being used for his repairing abilities, he also would tease him and call him "Wormie" and the only time he visited was when his speeder was broken. Biggs would come to him and invite him to go places, Luke felt embarrassed several times because he had no money to pay for a lot of the activities. Biggs would say that he has plenty of credits and he needed to spend. Not only that Uncle Owen was very stringent with the amount of allowance Luke would be given.

Luke remembered a kind remark Biggs had said, "You are my friend, Luke. There is no amount of credits in the whole galaxy worth more than our friendship…"

Luke sat in front of the screen, turned off the timer and started to browse the holo-net.

He typed in a search for his father: Anakin Skywalker.

He looked at the screen:

_Anakin Skywalker fought bravely in the Clone Wars, but considered Missing in Action while on a mission to Mustafar. He _is_ presumed dead. General Obi-Wan Kenobi later recorded on the extinct Jedi archives which were confiscated by the Empire that Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was killed in battle against Darth Vader…_

Luke felt a lump going through his throat. Biggs entered the room holding a plate with bantha burgers.

"What are you doing?" Biggs mumbled, as he was eating a burger and talking at the same time.

"Oh, nothing; I was just browsing…" Luke replied nonchalantly.

"Hey, Luke, find something for us to watch."

"I don't feel like watching holo-movies, I have a better idea."

Luke's blue eyes brightened.

"We can tap into the ships communications that are one hundred parsecs away."

Biggs' eyes widened. "Are you crazy? Are you going to jam their signals?"

"No, Biggs. We are just going to listen to their conversations."

"You are crazy, Luke. Whoever you are tapping in might know you are doing that!"

Luke smirked. "Take it easy, they won't."

Luke happily tapped into the keyboard and searched for coordinates.

"Where did you learn this, anyways?" Biggs asked while observing his friend searching the holonet.

"My friend Dack taught me."

Luke continued to search, suddenly a different sound called both boys attention.

"rgrslta lei ll orh.l.. oowijh;lllln"

Luke frowned. "Wow! I think I got something, Biggs."

"Can you understand that?" Biggs asked. "I think it is Bothan"

"No, but I can get the signal they are transmitting…"

The holo screen started to send an image…

An enormous sphere…

"Hey, Biggs…do you got a translator?"

"Yeah, how come we didn't think of that?"

Biggs activated the translator device…

"Here, Luke…It will pick up hundreds of languages of the galaxy, but I still think it is Bothan."

The computerized voice echoed as the image of the sphere was floating in front of the youths' eyes.

Luke activated the recording panel.

"_These are the readings of the battle station. Be ready for the next transmission."_

Luke eyed the translation device and smiled at Biggs' pride to have recognized the language. The device blinked "B o t h a n"

A woman's voice answered, "_You may send the transmission."_

Luke observed the translation device. It did not blink.

"She speaks our language." Luke commented.

The holo image started to float around, "Luke, this supposed to be a battle station, look at the size of that thing." Biggs voice was shaken.

"_A precise shot into its core is what is needed to destroy this battle station." _The sphere suddenly dissipated.

Luke immediately cut the connection, and then he turned to Biggs with a concerned look, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: George Lucas owns everything. This is only fan fiction,

no profit ever intended.

Chapter 2  
STAR DESTROYER DEVASTATOR

Darth Vader sat in his chamber and meditated. As the doors opened automatically, General Veers walked nervously noting the frigid temperatures as he approached the hyperbolic chamber.

"What is it?" Lord Vader's voice boomed and as General Veers flinch in surprise and fear.

"My…my Lord, there was…was a t-transmission we detected from the Death Star to…a Corellian Vessel which is currently in the range of our tractor beam, we also caught the same transmission sent to another location on the outer rim."

"What is this other location?"

"The systems indicate the transmission had reached the Outer Rim territories, a planet called Tatooine."

Vader's anger went up a few notches. Almost two decades, since he had been in that accursed dust ball of a planet…the feelings of despair and deeply abiding anger started to resurface. The hatred he felt when he held his dead mother's body in his arms…

"Now I am complete…"  
Vader pushed the thought aside…to focus on the problem at hand.

"Have you given orders to seize the vessel?"

"Yes, my lord."

General Veers saw the large jaws open up on the hyperbaric chamber as Lord Vader's helmet came into view as he stood to leave the room. "Come with me, set the course to Tatooine!"

TANTIVE IV…

Near Tatooine...

The Alliance soldiers were preparing to be boarded. Their vessel stopped moving once it got inside the Star Destroyer.

Princess Leia Organa inserted the pilfered Death Star information on the R2D2 droid and ran to the other side.

"Where have you been?" Threepio shouts at R2D2.

R2D2 whistled in his binary language…

"Mission? What mission?"

The little droid ignored Threepio's rumbling and rolled straight to an escape pod.

"I am not going there!" Threepio screamed but suddenly a volley of blaster bolts almost hit him. He immediately jumped inside the escape pod.

The escape pod detached from the vessel and escaped into outer space.

An Imperial soldier aimed his canons at the pod, until a superior Officer approached him, "No, there are no life forms, it must be a malfunction," the commander stated.

On the other side of the vessel the Dark Lord could sense the fear from the rebel soldiers as soon as he entered the Tantive IV behind the stormtroopers.

General Veers accompanied Darth Vader. The Dark lord grabbed an Alliance commander by his collar, and started to throttle him as he asked question, "Where are the plans?" Vader's loud voice gave chills to everyone around him; some of the soldiers placed their hands over their throats, they were choking...

The Alliance soldier couldn't speak or move; he was hanging by Vader's powerful grip. Vader was too angry to continue the interrogation, he snapped the soldier's neck and he died before hitting the floor.

Vader turned to General Veers as he declared. "I want this ship taken apart until the plans are found. As for the prisoners, I want them alive!"

"Yes, my lord." General Veers answered hastily.

Vader walked passed through the dead bodies of the fallen Alliance soldiers and stormtroopers and headed towards the bridge.

General Veers sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead, eager to carry out Lord Vader's implicit instructions.

Two stormtroopers approached General Veers and one of them was carrying an unconscious Princess Leia.

"Is she alive?" General Veers asked, praying that she was, he certainly didn't want to disappoint Lord Vader.

"Yes, General. We set our weapons for stun blast. We are taking her to Lord Vader."

General Veers countermanded the order instead informing the stormtrooper, "Take her to a detention cell. I will inform Lord Vader about her capture."

"Yes, sir," The stormtrooper replied and left towards the cellblock.

General Veers walked to the bridge. Darth Vader was staring out into the far reaches of space as the stars continued to shine their light. Lord Vader was sullen as he realized that General Veers was approaching him, tender footed, somewhat leery of approaching the Dark Lord. He knew that as a Sith he should enjoy striking fear into the hearts of men, women, and children, but sometimes it was annoying as well. Especially since there were two officers under his command that he respected, General Veers and Captain Piett, who wasn't on this ship currently, but whose career he was watching with great interest.

"My Lord…we captured Princess Leia Organa, but we couldn't find anything on board. The data was probably transferred to the planet Tatooine." General Veers said.

"Prepare my shuttle! I am going to Tatooine, immediately!" Vader barked at an ensign who jumped in his seat and the fear coursed through his veins. He left in a hurry to comply to the Sith's order.

As the Dark Lord strolled off the bridge the men almost felt a collected breath had been released and they could continue their duties without a Dark Lord hovering over them and walked away, the crew avoided looking up as the dark lord passing by, relieved to see him leave the bridge.


	3. Chapter 3

THE OUTER RIM HACKER – CHAPTER 3

DANGER RISING….

LAR'S HOMESTEAD

Luke sat in the garage cleaning the hardware for the moisture evaporators.

He picked up the data disk. His mind was reeling. "_Who could I tell about this? A secret weapon, by the galaxy!"_

"Luke! Luke!" Aunt Beru called, interrupting his train of thought.

"I am coming, Aunt Beru!" Luke replied and placed the disk inside his pocket.

Luke rushed out of the garage.

"Yes, Aunt Beru?"

"Go wash your hands, dinner is ready."

Luke washed his hands and sat in the dining room chair,

Uncle Owen arrived.

"Did you clean those machines, Luke?" Owen asked as he picked up a piece of Bantha steak and placed it in his plate.

"Yes, Uncle Owen. But we need to get new coils for the evaporator. The connection is damaged." Luke answered and poured a glass of blue milk.

"Well, then tomorrow after your chores I want you to go to Anchorhead and get the coil."

"Tomorrow? I have to meet Biggs tomorrow and we were going to get some power converters." Luke replied.

"You may waste time with your friends after your chores are done, we need to get the coil to make the unit to work and you can go meet your friend another day."

Luke sighed. "All right, I will go to Anchorhead." Luke replied and ate a piece of steak and stood. He placed the steak back on the plate. He felt his stomach churning; a sense of complete boredom hit him hard making him lose his appetite.

"You haven't finished your food, Luke?" Aunt Beru said, "Was my cooking that bad?"

Luke picked up the plate. "No, Aunt Beru. I forgot to do something. Would you put this in the fridge for me and I will eat later?" Luke handles the plate to Aunt Beru.

"Sure, Luke," she replied, mildly concerned for her nephew and his sudden loss of appetite. That boy loved to eat, unless something was bothering him, and Beru knows that Owen while he loves the boy, he does have a tendency to be a little too strict with him at times.

Owen continued eating. Beru stares at him.

"What is it, Beru?"

"I think you were a little harsh with him. He could play with his friend tomorrow, Owen. He works so hard!"

"I need the units for the harvest Beru. I will make it up to him. I am planning on buying a new bike speeder and he can keep the one I have." Owen replied

"Luke told me that Darklighter would be sending his application to the Imperial Academy. He will not have his friend around for long.

He likes to be with his friend."

Owen sighs. "I guess you are right, Beru. I will talk to him."

ooooOOOOOoooo

TATOOINE – LATE EVENING.

Colored skies and stars sparkled over the desert plain. Tatoo I and Tatoo II had long set behind the mountains. The Jawas started to crawl out of their hiding places as the two droids continued their journey through the desert as night fell.

"You and your ideas! All they do is get us into trouble!" Threepio whined as trying to keep up with the astromech droid rolling fast past him.

R2D2 rumbled the binary language.

"You keep talking about this mission. What mission?"

R2D2 whistled.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Threepio asked. "Well, you can go ahead and find this Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am heading in that direction because if we keep walking though this open desert we are going to fry our circuits!"

Threepio said and turned towards the opposite direction.

R2D2 kept going unperturbed by Threepio's outburst. Threepio turned and looked at the astromech droid and turned back around heading out the other way.

oooOOOOooo

OUTER SPACE

Darth Vader piloted his shuttle, heading towards Tatooine.

_"Are you an angel?"_

That memory was unsettling. He focused on the task to be accomplished; he tapped into the dark side to push those thoughts away. That silly romantic notion of a boy didn't exist any more. He had a rebel operative to apprehend, specifically a computer hacker.

The commlink buzzed.

"Lord Vader, we found the source of the transmission," the mechanized voice over the intercom announced. "It is from a holo computer located in Tatooine, and we are approaching the exact location."

"Good work, commander. You must immediately send the troopers to apprehend whoever you find at the location of this computer and take them alive to my Star Destroyer, I want these coordinates right now."

"It will be done, milord."

Vader cut the connection and maintained his shuttle towards Tatooine. He let his anger to take a hold of him.

oooOOOOooo

LAR'S HOMESTEAD

Luke repaired the hardware in the garage while Biggs played with the lights of the computer panels on the wall.

"Luke, what are you going to do with the information we got?"

"I am keeping it with me; I must show this to someone, I just don't know who to trust." Luke replied with a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had hacked many times with Dack, but this time he felt rather uneasy. The information he gathered was unsettling and there was a sense of danger involving the whole affair. He felt as though the weight of the galaxy was over his head. He didn't want to voice out aloud his concerns, so he kept concentrating in placing the coils inside the hardware.

Biggs noticed his friend's nervousness. He broke the silence.

"You know I am leaving next month," Biggs said while looking at the panels hooked on the hardware measuring the pressure.

He avoided looking directly at Luke; he swallowed hard suppressing his anguish in leaving his best friend alone on that dust ball of a planet. He just couldn't express his feelings but deep inside he knew he was going to miss him and he would also be missed. He deeply wished Luke could go with him.

"I wish I could go, but Uncle Owen keep finding excuses for me not to sign up for the Academy" Luke's remarks surprised Biggs. It was as though he answered his thoughts. "Next year he can't hold me up anymore, I will be eighteen," Luke continued while placing the wires under the machine.

"Luke! Luke!" Uncle Owen cried out.

"What is it Uncle Owen?" Luke moved his head out of the machine in order to reply.

"The Jawa Sandcrawler is approaching. Let's go see if what kind of droids we can find."

"I'll be right there, Uncle Owen."

Biggs stopped playing with the lights. "I guess it's my cue to go."

"Thanks for coming, Biggs."

"I'll see you next week at Beggar's Canyon?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Luke replied and left the garage. Biggs left and headed home.

ooooOOOOoooo

_TBC - next chapter...Obi-Wan.._..

_My deepest gratitude to DarthGladiator45 for beta this story for me..._


	4. Chapter 4

THE OUTER RIM HACKER – chapter 4

CLOSING IN…

JUNDLAND WASTES

Tatoo I and Tatoo II had just set, filling the skies with a purple, orange haze that was very calming to look upon.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat cross-legged on an old handmade mat to start meditating.

_"_You are not concentrating, my old padawan." Qui-Gon's voice chided before his spectral form appeared before Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes. "Master!"

"I sense a disturbance in the Force, Obi-Wan."

"I'm afraid I felt it to, Master. I sense something allusive nearby…like a divergence in the Force…" Obi-Wan replied.

"Then we must keep up with your training to maintain you attuned to the Force…and that makes me wonder, how is young Skywalker?" Qui-Gon asked.

"He is growing strong…the Force is with him, but he doesn't know yet." Obi-Wan replies as he levitates a few rocks around him using the Force.

"When are you going to tell him, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon paced around.

"He is not ready, master. I am…"

"You will not fail him, Obi-Wan and you did not fail Anakin. How many times do I have to tell you that it was his own choosing to turn to the darkside? You must stop blaming yourself." Qui-Gon interrupted before Obi-Wan had a change to put himself down once again for Anakin's fall. Qui-Gon had begun to maybe realize that it was necessary for the Chosen One to fall to the dark side, but he couldn't tell Obi-Wan this.

"I have failed him, Master." Obi-Wan let the rocks fall onto the ground.

"There is still good in him, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon replied as he avoided the rocks that hit the ground.

Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon and frowned. "I heard that line before, I still can't believe in it."

"I sense your frustration, Obi-Wan. Use the Force, be mindful of your thoughts for your dark feelings of guilt will lead you to the darkside."

Obi-Wan picked up the rocks for a second time with the Force and this time he kept them floating in the air as he closed his eyes.

"There, Obi-Wan…Now clear your mind, and imagine yourself in another place…you will come with me, I will lead you and this time you will be there."

Obi-Wan tapped into the Force went on an astral projection…

oooOOOooo

LARS HOMESTEAD…

The Lars household was in total silence.

Luke couldn't sleep. He had earlier stumbled in an intriguing holo message of the newly acquired astromech unit R2-D2.

"_Help me Obi-Wan, you are my only hope."_

That girl's voice echoed in his mind. He felt a strong

feeling towards the girl…he was drawn to her somehow…

_"Obi-Wan Kenobi…it must be Ben Kenobi…" _Luke thought. "_I must visit the old hermit…' _this what went on Luke's mind before he felt sleep.

OooOOOooo

LARS GARAGE…

The two newly acquired droids, Threepio and R2-D2 were in stand-by mode, when suddenly R2D2 turned himself on.

The astromech droid rolled across the garage until he reached the exit. R2-D2 turned to acknowledge Threepio was still off.

R2D2 went on his "mission"….

OooOOOooo

DARKLIGHTER'S HOMESTEAD.

Biggs was home alone. His parents had left to attend a wedding in Corellia and Biggs had told them he was feeling sick. The truth was that he had an important engagement: The Beggar's Canyon race. He was looking forward to race. He wanted to ask Luke to spend the night with him, playing games but he felt it would be better to stay alone.

He had to get used to stay away from his friend; he felt a knot in his throat just to think that his best friend would be thousands of parsecs away. But he also chided himself that was not a child anymore, he had to grow up, however, he wanted so much to cherish the fun moments with his best friend, after all he was going to leave next month to Carida to go to the Imperial Academy. He played one holo-game and went to bed late.

OoOOOoo

DUNE SEA….

Obi-Wan marveled with what Qui-Gon taught him. He was able to detach his soul from his body. He felt a great peace while on a spectral form. It reminded of Qui-Gon's instructions in the past.

"_We are luminous beings, Obi-Wan."_

"This is such a feeling, Master!" Obi-Wan said as he looked at his spectral arms, hands…

_How could this be?_

"There are no limits to the power of the Force, my friend."

Qui-Gon spoke as he sensed Obi-Wan's bewilderment.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan traveled through the dark sands.

"You can make yourself invisible." Qui-Gon said as his spectral form disappeared. Obi-Wan kept looking at all sides to find Qui-Gon.

He tapped into the Force to become invisible, but he suddenly he found himself back on his body, getting up fast and panting…he was startled. Qui-Gon was standing by him when he got up suddenly.

"Didn't you feel the dark side emissions, Master?" Obi-Wan tried to control his breathing.

"I did." Qui-Gon replied. "The Chosen One is nearby."

"No, Master. He is not the Chosen One…he has been consumed by Darth Vader." Obi-Wan replied.

"Control your fear, Obi-Wan. He _is_ the Chosen One, he's only lost his path."

Obi-Wan shivered. Qui-Gon used the Force to lift a blanket and wrap around the old man.

"I can only sense darkness…" Obi-Wan said as he closed his eyes and his memory traveled back…to that dreadful encounter in Mustafar.

"Anakin lost all he loved…search your feelings, my friend and you know how to redeem him."

"He is lost, Master."

"Obi-Wan, concentrate. Who did Anakin love the most?"

"At first it was his mother, then Padmé."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes and spoke. "Then it is time that he became aware of the existence of his children."

"No, Master. Yoda and I agreed to keep them separate and safe from the Emperor."

"I have spoken to Master Yoda quite often. It was necessary at that time, but it is now the time to bring him back Obi-Wan. I have shielded myself from him but he spend days looking at the stars on the bridge of his Star Destroyer. He has many regrets." Qui-Gon spoke in a low voice.

Obi-Wan stood up and paced around the house. "I placed him on that suit, master. I could have pulled him out of the lava…" Obi-Wan looked away from Qui-Gon, walked towards the side of the bed, opened a trunk and retrieved Anakin's lightsaber.

"This weapon was his life." Obi-Wan said as he held the lightsaber tightly.

"Then you must give it to Luke. Anakin would want his son to have it. " Qui-Gon replied. "I must go, Obi-Wan, your task is not yet finished. You have learned the technique to travel through dimensions, my work here is done, but it is going to be up to you to perform the next task, you don't have to accept but if you do it will be a high price to pay."

"What is it, Master?" Obi-Wan frowned.

"The future is always in motion, Obi-Wan, but there is a clear vision that I foresee, and it might be the only hope to save Anakin."

"I didn't know you could dream after you die…" Obi-Wan replied.

"It is not a dream, Obi-Wan. It is the future I see. I see Anakin standing and holding his hand forward…he is not wearing the suit in my vision…he is reaching for someone…"

"What this vision has to do to the high price to be paid?" Obi-Wan was confused with Qui-Gon's remarks.

"This is part of another vision…the one prior has to do…with you."

"Me? How?"

"You will fight him again."

"I am too old for that."

"But you will, and when this happens you must let him win."

"What!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"Only your sacrifice can give you strength, and through the Force you shall return from the dead."

"Just like you…"

"You fear him, Obi-Wan. After you die, he can't touch you."

Obi-Wan looked down and to his former master knowing he was still waiting for an answer.

"I accept, Master." Obi-Wan said as he closed his eyes and remember the screams of his old padawan…

_"I hate you!" Anakin yelled as the fire started to consume his severed legs._

"I will give my life for his redemption." Obi-Wan opened his watery eyes.

Qui-Gon smiled, "Then I will see you soon," he bowed and vanished.

Obi-Wan tapped into the Force and fell asleep.

DARKLIGHTER'S HOMESTEAD

Biggs woke up startled. He heard noises of steps. He jumped out of the bed and opened the door. He gasped as he saw the stormtroppers pointing out blasters to him.

"In the name of the Galactic Empire, you are under arrest!"

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

THE OUTER RIM HACKER – CHAPTER 5

Nothing mine...GL is the master of it all...

Thanks George...

DARKLIGHT'S HOMESTEAD.

Biggs took a few seconds to realize what was happening to him.

The storm troopers continued to point the blasters at him while one of them was placing handcuffs on him. His heart was racing, he didn't know how to act or what to do, but he felt he could not breathe when he saw the dark clad figure coming towards him.

"Take him to my Star Destroyer immediately!" Darth Vader commanded. Biggs shivered as the Dark Lord's black mask stared at him. He felt like passing out.

"Yes, milord," the stormtrooper replied.

Biggs walked in front of the stormtroopers and Vader right behind him. He was shaking so much that his steps were erratic.

They placed him into a speeder and left towards the shuttle taking him to the Star Destroyer.

_"Oh Luke, what am I going to do? I can't tell them about him!"_

Unfortunately, it didn't take long until they reached the Star Destroyer. The stormtroopers led Biggs inside a cell shoved to his knees.

Shortly after, Vader arrived. "Leave us!" He yelled and the stormtroopers left immediately.

Biggs was shaking, on his knees and Darth Vader's hissing sound of the respirator kept giving him shivers. His forehead was dripping sweat and he could barely maintain balance.

"Tell me, rebel, where are the plans?" Vader stood in front of him. The respirator hissing sound filled the young man's ear, but he was also feeling a sharp pain on the back of his head.

"I…I… don't have it." Biggs said truthfully. "I didn't know…I…"

Biggs was struggling to speak. He couldn't stop the tears. Vader fed on his fears. The young man was so terrified that he was going to pass out but Vader held his consciousness with the Force.

_"I can't tell him about Luke!"_

Vader smiled behind his mask.

"Where is Luke?"

Biggs eyes bulged. _"How could he know?"_

"I…don't."

"Listen, young one; Tell me now, where are the plans? Does this Luke have them? I advise you to tell me and I shall give you a painless death, but I have other means to extract the information from you."

"Please, sir…I didn't know….it was a g-game…I swear I am not a rebel…I was going to join the academy next month…I…" Biggs shocked in between sobs.

"Where is this Luke?"

No answer.

Vader invaded the young man's mind, the image of the young boy playing with the computer threw him out of his mental grip, and he sensed…the boy's young friend "Luke" connected with the Force….

The force of the mind probe caused Biggs an enormous pain that he

passed out. Vader refrained from probing the young man's mind, he wanted to get the information but he knew that he could kill him.

OooOOOooo

BEYOND MOS EISLEY

Luke lay unconscious on the ground while three of the Sand People searched the T-16 Skyhopper.

A loud noise scared the Sand People away.

Obi-Wan, wearing his Jedi robe approached an unconscious Luke. He placed his hands over his wrist then his forehead; he looked up to see a shaking astromech droid. He lifted the hood out of his face and threw it over the back.

"Hello there!"

R2D2 was shaking.

"Come here, my little friend."

Obi-Wan looked at Luke still unconscious.

"He will be all right." Obi-Wan pointed to Luke.

Luke started to awaken.

"Ben? Ben Kenobi? Oh, I am glad to see you."

"What brings you here, young Luke? The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly."

Luke pointed to R2D2. "This little droid; he claims to be a property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi and he has a message to deliver to his old master. I never have seen so much devotion on a droid before."

Obi-Wan helped Luke up.

"Threepio!" Luke said and walked towards the protocol droid lying on the ground and Obi-Wan helped to take the droids inside.

OooOOOOooo

Biggs found himself attached to a device with needles on the other side of a large panel. He panicked.

"Please! I am not a rebel!" He screamed. "Please!" Biggs desperately tried to get out of that predicament.

Vader paced around the device. "You can make it stop. All you have to do is to tell what did you do with the message you received and who is this accomplice of yours named Luke."

"I…I d-don't have any m-mes-sage, sir…it was a…game…Please!"

Biggs screamed with all his might. His whole body was in pain.

"Does this Luke have the message?"

Biggs tried to deny but somehow he felt compelled to tell everything to his tormentor…

"Yes, sir…he does."

"Where do I find him?"

"At the L-Lars m-moisture f-farm..."

_"Lars?, Could that be…no it must be a common name…" _Vader thought.

"Very well, I have no use for you."

Vader lifted his hands and Biggs started to feel his throat constrict.

_"Please…I am too young to die!" _Biggs thought as he looked upon the dark mask of death.

The com-link interrupted the execution.

"What is it Admiral Veers?"

"Milord, it appears that an escape pod jettisoned with no life forms."

_"He may still hold valuable information." _Vader thought and left the cell.

DUNE SEA…

Obi-Wan listened to the holo-message Leia placed into the R2 Unit.

_"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are my only hope!"_

"You must learn the ways of the Force, Luke. You must come with me to Alderaan to deliver this message."

"Alderaan? I can't go to Alderaan. It is too far from here and I got work to do."

"That's your uncle talking."

"I can take you as far as Mos Eisley; you may find a transport there."

"Very well, you must do what you feel it is right." Obi-Wan opened a trunk and retrieved a lightsaber.

"Here, young Luke. Take this."

Luke lit the saber and moved around.

"Wow!"

"This was your father's. A noble weapon of a Jedi which is not as clumsy as a blaster."

"You knew my father?"

"He was a Jedi like me; he was a cunning warrior and a good friend."

"How did my father die?"

Obi-Wan turned his face away from Luke. "Vader, a young Jedi who was a pupil of mine before he turned to evil betrayed the Jedi order and murdered your father."

"Darth Vader?" Luke turned off the lightsaber.

"Yes. I think we must go before gets dark. You can take me to Mos Eisley."

Luke returned the lightsaber to Obi-Wan.

"No, young Luke; this is for you."

"Thank you, Ben."

Luke placed his hand in his pocket and retrieved the disk.

"Ben, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I know what is inside this droid."

"You do?"

"I was playing with my friend and I tapped into an Imperial transmission. They are building a battle station that could destroy planets."

"And where is your friend now?"

"Probably at home, why?"

"Young one, the Empire must have traced your transmission."

"Oh no! We must go to Biggs!"

"Take me to Mos Eisley, I must find a way to Alderaan."

Luke drove the skyhopper as fast as he could; they stopped at the Jawa Sandcrawler and surveyed the damage. Luke understood that the Empire were after the droids too. He went home to see his uncle and aunt dead. He returned to Obi-Wan.

"I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father." Luke had a knot on his throat…he was feeling guilty.

"Ben, it is my fault they are dead. I probably killed my best friend too."

"We must honor their memories, Luke and deliver these plans to Alderaan."

"I understand."

Luke and Obi-Wan headed on to Mos Eisley…

TBC….


End file.
